Earicles – Miracles for Ears

Earicles is a nonprofit organization that helps children born without ears thrive through education, research, advocacy and free or reduced cost Microtia treatment.

Microtia is a rare condition that causes about 1 in 8,000 babies worldwide to be born with missing or malformed ears. When a baby is born with Microtia, few families are given accurate, comprehensive information about the condition and the treatment options available for their child. Earicles is dedicated to enhancing the life of individuals with Microtia through this four-prong platform:

EDUCATION

Earicles supports an annual comprehensive conference to educate Microtia and Atresia (hearing loss) patients worldwide on the most effective treatment options available to them and their families. The conference will provide patients and their loved ones with key access to nationally recognized experts and cutting-edge research in the field of ear reconstruction. The conference’s unique format brings together individuals who have completed treatment and those who will do so in the future, fostering a community of mutual support and learning for families coping with the many stages of Microtia.

RESEARCH

Earicles is dedicated to advancing treatment options for children born without ears through innovation in surgical ear reconstruction and contributions to Microtia research. Earicles’ early research priorities include determining the psychological and physiological benefits of ear reconstruction and exploring why Microtia affects some populations at a higher rate.

ADVOCACY

Earicles builds public awareness and support for Microtia patients through both national and international outreach efforts. Earicles advocates on behalf of patients to secure health insurance coverage for Microtia surgery and dispel the belief that it is a cosmetic procedure. By partnering with existing advocacy groups, Earicles fosters an accepting community for Mictoria patients and their families.

TREATMENT

Earicles provides cost-free and/or reduced cost surgical care for children with Microtia so that they can regain their confidence and experience a stigma-free childhood. In 2013, Earicles sponsored 3 cost-free surgeries and 5 reduced cost surgeries to children with microtia. Earicles will be sponsoring three surgeries in 2014 to those children .

*Earicles is a California non-profit public benefit corporation with tax-deductible status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. All contributions made to Earicles are tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.